Cremation is a low cost alternative to the practices of embalming and interring human remains in expensive caskets and cemetery plots. It is an ancient practice which dates back in the archaeological record at least 26,000 years. Traces of cremation have been found in Europe dating to the Early Bronze Age (ca. 2000BC).
From 1997 to 2001, the percentage of confirmed cremated deaths in the United States have risen from 23.13% to 36.03% of all deaths. The rate is projected to increase to 43.57% by the year 2025. A survey published in 2003 showed a rate of cremation in the United States between 1997 to 2001 ranging from a high of 55.20% in Nevada to a low of 4.43% in Alaska.
A 1996/97 Report of the Cremation Association of North America shows that in 1996, 40.7% of cremation remains were delivered to a cemetery, 35.8% were taken home, 17.8% were scattered as directed and 5.7% were not picked up. Fifty-seven percent of the remains delivered to cemeteries were buried, 25.6% were placed in columbariums, 15.2% were scattered on dedicated properties and the remainder were placed in common graves.
The death of a pet or family member is an emotionally challenging event. One major deficiency with the current cremation practice is the lack of a suitable means for honoring and preserving the cremated remains of a person or pet. Another deficiency is the lack of a weatherproof closure for preserving the cremated remains of a person or pet outdoors.